Just Short Of Free
by SpunkMuffin82
Summary: Fili and Kili are on watch, but of course they fall asleep in the night. While they're sleep, they're nabbed by some slave-traders and sent out to work as blacksmiths for terrible people in terrible places. No Durincest or slash. Rated T for obvious reasons. Sorry if the genre doesn't fit (yet, anyway.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, this is my very first fanfiction. Please leave a review, especially if you want another chapter! Prompts for next chapter(s) are very welcomed, too, if you like it. I'm doing this for my English class, as we're doing short stories (minimum of 5 pages and a maximum of 10) and I'm now in a writer's block. Enjoy! (Please don't be too brutal in reviews, if it's even reviewed.)**

**I own NOTHING of "The Hobbit"**

"I'll take these two," a very tall, dark haired Man grunted as he grabbed the chains binding my brother and my hands together and tugged us off. I tried to slip my hand closest to my brother's free of the links around my wrist, but even an Orc's strength couldn't break the chains. The two of us were thrown into a large covered wagon containing several other new slaves in the trade, and we were on our way to who-knows where.

Let's start with an introduction; I am Fili, older brother of Kili, nephew of Thorin, and heir to the Kingdom of Erebor. I am a Dwarf, if you didn't put that together. What's happening? My brother, Uncle, eleven other Dwarves, a Hobbit, a wizard, and I are off on a journey to reclaim Erebor from the dragon, Smaug, who stole the kingdom from us (of course, that was sixty years ago. My brother and I were only children.) While we were heading through an area that was lived in by many Men, Kili and I were on watch looking after the ponies. Bofur was on guard in the camp. However, the two of us fell asleep in the night like we usually end up doing; but of course, we were snagged while we were asleep. By who, we didn't know until the sacks were taken off our heads. It turned out we were grabbed by Men, some of whom take dwarves as slaves and sell them all over Middle-Earth. My brother and I are now two of the many masses of enslaved Dwarves.

"Funny, we went from being hunted by orcs, to safe but enslaved, isn't it?" I laughed glumly to my brother in an attempt to cheer him up a little. He only replied with a half-hearted grin.

"Sounds like fun," an older dwarf to my left 'enthusiastically' said. "Looks like we'll be stuck together for a while; my name's Glangen. I used to live in the Blue Mountains, as a blacksmith, but I've been shipped around for quite awhile now. Who're you?"

"Fili and Kili," I said as I pointed to myself and my brother, who was linked to my right hand. He started to add 'Nephews of Thorin', but I elbowed him hard enough in the stomach before he could finish.

"I feel like I've heard those names before..."

Kili gulped.

"Probably just making it up."

I held back a sigh of relief. "They're pretty common names where we come from," Kili lied for good measure.

"Don't sound like common names, but-" Glangen was cut off as we hit a bump in the road, which jarred us all loose from the benches that were obviously meant for Men, not Dwarves, as we're half the height. We all grunted as we hit the floor.

It was quite a long time, maybe six hours, before we arrived wherever it was we were taken (sitting on the floor for a majority of the ride, mind you.) I still thought then that we would be able to make a break for it when the cart stopped. Kili and I both shot up and knocked down the two Men who started to unload the slaves. Unfortunately for us, we didn't notice the three Men with rifles pointed at our heads before that. We were knocked down, hard, to the ground. I could hear Kili say, "For Durin's sake, I hope Thorin finds us soon," before we were knocked unconscious.


	2. Quick Fix

**A/N: Hey guys, I wanted to clear something up. I know there aren't any rifles in Middle-Earth! I plan to do something with that in the story. And I personally don't think it matters too much as Biblo has indoor plumbing while they're still fighting with swords. I will in fact post the next chapter VERY soon, as I have Honor Band rehearsal tonight and will be getting home VERY late. So, please no more with the badgering on the rifles! Thanks, ADRi.**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Finally came up with something. I know it's not the best, so don't be mean in the reviews! As I said before, this is my first attempt at fanfiction, and it's for my English class. R&R, and enjoy!**

"F-Fili and Kili are gone!" Ori quaked as he ran back to the camp after checking on the missing brothers.  
"Gone?!" Bilbo was on edge.  
"They're probably out on some dumb-assed mini adventure," Dwalin muttered from under his moustache as he sharpened his battle-axes.  
Ori's face was pale. "There were some signs of a struggle... And there aren't any ponies..."  
"None?!" Dwalin just about dropped his axes.  
"How did I not notice? I was on watch the whole night!" Bofur cried out from across the camp.  
"I'm glad for your own sake you didn't notice; if you had and didn't tell anyone, you wouldn't have even made it to be incinerated by Smaug," a gruff voice said from behind Bofur, sending chills down his spine. It was Thorin, the uncle of the two missing brothers, and the closest thing to a father they had.  
"I think I heard something about a slave trade going on in this area. They may have been mixed into all this," Balin murmured from a few feet away.  
"They most likely have. When don't they find a way to get in danger?" Thorin sighed as he stood. Balin chuckled in agreement.  
"I could go scout around and see if I could find any signs to where they might have gone," Bilbo suggested as he stood up.  
"If you think you can find anything, have at it. The people in this trade know to not let their tracks be followable," Balin said grimly.  
"I'll see what I can do," Bilbo called as he slipped the ring on and ran off.

"Wake up, sun shines." Kili and I were woken up in a very eloquent manner; a very hard kick to the head. We still had chains on our wrists, but this time they were attached to the wall. The chains were then disconnected from the wall (by the Men,) and the two of us were forcefully pulled to our feet. "Today you start work in the forges; if you want to live, that is. We can just as easily dispose of you." Kili, being as arrogant as he is, spit at the tallest Man's face and smirked. We were both delivered punches to the stomach, each making us cough up a bit of blood due to the force.

"Alright, fine. Take me away," Kili breathed over dramatically, puttings his hands out like a fair maiden being rescued. I couldn't hold back a laugh. We were hit again, but it was worth it. We were shoved along a long, underground corridor. As we preceded, the heat rose and rose. Eventually, they brought us to the forges, where we saw many a beaten Dwarven slave working themselves to exhaustion. "So, what'll we be doing here?"  
"Since you're Dwarves, I'm sure you've worked in a forge before. You'll be expected to forge barrels for at least fifty rifles a day," One Man grunted as he shoved us the tools needed.  
"One question first; what's this "rifle" thing?" I inquired.  
"Something that'll take you straight to the "halls of Durin" or whatever the hell it is you call it if you don't get straight to work."  
"Touchy, touchy," I mocked in a high pitched voice as I went to my work area.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! Wow, quick turn around** **:O Sorry if it's not very good, I'm just trying to get this story done by Wednesday. Any who, hope you enjoy this chapter, and R&R!**

"Ugh, why didn't I eat anything first...?" Bilbo muttered to himself as he crept along the underbrush following the faint tracks of horses pulling carts. He had been following the tracks for an hour or so, and knew it wouldn't end for a very long time. He headed back to the camp to retrieve the company. He was greeted by many heads looking in his direction for any news. "Well, the tracks don't seem to end for many miles, so it'd be pointless for me to follow them alone. But, the good news is the tracks are in the same direction we're going in."  
"That's always a good thing," Balin laughed slightly, trying to ease the mood.  
"We're going after them, right?" Ori beseeched.  
"Of course we are," Balins aid. "Right?" He turned to Thorin.  
"Why wouldn't we be?" Thorin responded, a little confused as to why Balin had turned to him for confirmation.  
"I personally think we should just leave them behind. I just want to get our old home back," Bifur muttered under his breath to Bombur. Nori gave him a warning look before walking ahead with Dori and Ori.

It was a very long time before Kili and I were able to meet our quota. We only just finished in time, both of us dirty, worn, and starving. We were brought back to the slave corridors, and switched with slaves doing the night work. I sat next to Kili, who immediately slumped against me like he did when we were younger and was fighting the urge to fall asleep. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and leaned my head on his. "You're not the only tired one." I looked at our surroundings. Everyone was in the same state as us, if not worse. There were a few men with minor injuries, but most faired much worse. There were plenty of infected wounds, the one on the man next to me's leg. It was a long, deep gash running from his knee to mid-thigh, and obviously hadn't seen any medical attention. There was blood, pus, and colors that shouldn't have been there. There was a man farther down that was in similar condition, but it was his eye. I'd rather not continue on the wounds' conditions. I was just glad Kili and fallen asleep before he got a good look at them.

Morning eventually came. The only reason I knew it was dawn was from the tiny shafts of light coming in from the cracks in the rafters of the ceiling, with the occasional falling of dirt from there. Kili woke up soon after me. It wasn't long before the Men came back in and switched us out for the night workers. The cycle went on like this for days, maybe weeks; both Kili and I receiving many injuries. One of mine, however, was becoming very similar to the ones I was mentioning before. We were only fed every two days, and not very much. Water was given once a day. Kili was falling behind on his quota, and was getting very ill. I knew if we remained here any longer, we would die. But it's not like we could just sneak out. We would've had to be Bilbo to do that, and in better condition. I could only hope that someone would find us before we, and the others, were too far gone.

"We've been walking for hours..." Bilbo grumbled as they walked.

"We had to walk from the Lonely Mountain to the Blue Mountains entirely by foot and with little to no food or shelter, so quit yer yapping," Dwalin growled, which promptly shut Bilbo up. Soon after, Bilbo notified them to stop. "We're definitely here. I'll go on ahead and see if I can find them." With that, he disappeared.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys, last chapter! I'm sorry the story is so short, but I have to get this done. I will come back to it later and make it more eventful and longer, so don't get your panties in too much of a knot ;) R&R, and enjoy!**

It was quite a while before Bilbo was able to find the site, not to mention find the entrance. He took caution to not be noticed by the guards as he slipped into the entrance, which was very big compared to his stature. It took several minutes for his eyes to adjust to the immense darkness, all the while walking and trying to find any sign of the two brothers. As he wandered the shadowy corridors, he noticed it was getting hotter and hotter every step he took. As he got closer to the source of the heat, he heard yelling and the occasional sound of a body hitting the ground. He hid in the shadows against the nearest wall, and watched as a massive group of slaves was brought down the hall in his direction. He looked at them all carefully. To the end of the line, he noticed Fili and Kili; Kili was being supported by his older brother, and was barely staying conscious. Fili wasn't in much better condition; if anything, he was worse. Bilbo followed the group until he saw the room they were being held in. After he told himself a final time how to get to the room again, he booked it back to the rest of the group. "I-I found them!"  
"Well, tell us where they are already!" Dwalin growled.  
"Allow me to get there, my goodness," Bilbo mumbled before telling them.

I was barely conscious, only enough that I could hear what was going on outside. At first it was the normal sounds of the clanging of metal in the forges, but it soon evolved into battle cries, the sound of blades slicing through flesh, and skulls being crushed under a heavy hand. I couldn't keep conscious, even through those ghastly sounds. The next thing I knew, I felt someone shaking me, telling me  
'Wake up for Durin's sake already!' I opened my eyes a little, and saw Bofur trying to wake me up.  
"We have to get you out of here."  
I looked around with bleary eyes. "Is Kili out yet?"  
"Yes, now come on." He slung his arm around my shoulder and we booked it out of there (well, if you can call it "booking it," seeing the state I was in.) It took some maneuvering and work to get out of there without being injured much more, but we eventually did it. I was greeted by the rest of the company, and was hurried the hell out of there.

It was awhile before I woke up again, as I had fallen unconscious while we were escaping. I realised as I was waking that there was a tightness around the wound running the length of my leg. I looked down to see bandaging.

"Meat and potatoes... They is so good... Mm mm mm mm, yeah..." Kili sang softly from a few feet away in his sleep. I could tell he was dreaming of eating real, hearty food, instead of the few rations left during our travel.

"Kili." I waited a moment to see if he'd wake. "Kili," I said again, but louder. Silence again. "Kili!"

"Huh-what?!" He shot upright, causing a wounds he had received on his back from several whippings (for being his arrogant self, of course,) to open yet again. "_Smart." _I thought to myself. "Just didn't want you to get too disappointed when you woke up; and we don't have 'meat and potatoes,' " I said, singing the last part in a mocking way. He hadn't hummed that little tune since he made it up all those years ago, making his feverish cheeks blush at his own childish notions. I smiled, and looked around. I saw we were in a camp made in a small clearing in a forested area. Oin was sitting not too far from us, as he's our healer in the company. Bifur and Bofur were trying to get the last of the food away from Bombur. Ori was sitting with his brothers and Bilbo, their backs turned to us. Dwalin and Gloin were nowhere to be seen. Thorin was deep in thought and had been talking to Gandalf, who must have just come at the last minute like usual. Gandalf must've seen Kili and I were conscious, as I noticed that familiar glimmer in his eyes as he looked our way. "Thorin, they're up," he murmured to our uncle , who was snapped out of his thoughts. I was pretty sure he would either, a) yell at us for not being careful and not paying attention when we were on watch, or b) be more compassionate about our current states, which is very rare. I watched as he walked over as I sat up, a very painful decision.

"It's about time you two woke up. It's been several days since we got you out of that hell-hole," Thorin said as he kneeled beside us.  
"T-two days?!" Kili and I were shocked we had been asleep that long. I tried to stand, but quickly realised that was a horrible idea. Kili had the same realisation. "I'm just glad we're back, and not being tormented anymore," I said as I eased back to my former position. As I sat back down, I heard a loud rumbling, and realised how hungry I was after the previous way my brother and I had been fed. I had given him a majority of my food when we were trapped there, so I was in much worse condition, hunger wise. Without hesitation, Bombur waddled over to us and handed Kili and I a heaping bowl of stew. To Kili's delight, 'meat and potatoes' were plentiful. The two of us wolfed down the stew, and felt as if the stew had never even been in the bowl. "Where are we headed next?" I asked as I swallowed the last mouthful.  
"We should go to Beorn's next. It's not too far from here. We may be able to stay there for a few nights, let your wounds heal and stock up before you lot go into Mirkwood," Gandalf advised from under his long-brimmed hat.  
"Sounds good to me, as long as there's food there!" Kili eagerly agreed, with a nod of approval from Bombur. Soon after, we packed up camp, and made our way to Beorn's, hopes high that we could get to the mountain before Durin's Day came upon us.


End file.
